The Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox have announced that they will each produce an online video for the “It Gets Better Project,” an anti-bullying project aimed at helping LGBT youth struggling with adversity and intolerance.
The announcements come just days after the World Series champion San Francisco Giants last week became the first major league sports team to join the project.
The Chicago Cubs will take a stand against anti-gay bullying and homophobia when they produce an “It Gets Better” video once the team returns home from its current 10-game road trip. The Cubs’ project has been in the works for more than a week, according to a release from the team.
The Cubs will be the second professional sports team to participate in the “It Gets Better” campaign.
The Red Sox’ plan to participate in the campaign came in response to a petition started by a 12-year-old New Hampshire boy that garnered nearly 10,000 signatures in a matter of days.
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“The Red Sox organization takes the issue of bullying seriously,” the team said in a statement released by spokeswoman Leah Tobin.
“It is something that has touched many of us and those we love, and it is a growing problem in our community. We are proud of dedicated Red Sox fans like 12-year-old Sam Maden who have taken the courageous step of publicly standing up against bullying of LGBT youth.”
Seattle-based activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller launched the “It Gets Better Project” to provide support and encouragement to LGBT teens struggling with bullying and adversity.
The project, which has since compiled more than 10,000 online videos, was in response to the increasing number of teen suicides of kids who were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.
